In The Morning
by Salem Merciolago
Summary: It starts with A and ends with Z. A quiet little orphan child alphabetizes his way into Even's logical heart. Multi-chap. Shota. Even x Ienzo
1. Cute Things Are Always Small

**In The Morning (Too Young)**

**Pairing: Even x Ienzo**

**Rating: M for sensitive subjects, such as shota (chan) and homosexual relationships, as well as sex in later chapters**

**So, I was listening to a song by the Junior Boys called In The Morning (hence the title), and it sparked the idea to do a triplet ficlet focusing on pairs with a noticeable age gap. This is the first of the three, featuring a pair that I don't think gets nearly enough love: Even and Ienzo, Vexen and Zexion's Somebodies. They're so hilariously awkward. I'll try to keep them as in character as possible, and I hope you enjoy. Also, do keep in mind that there are some iffy subjects in here which include shota, which means that there is a large age gap between the two. I ask that you, as a reader, keep an open mind while reading this. Also, a minor explanation: in the chapter title, there will be two numbers, such as 4-46; these represent Ienzo and Even's ages, respectively.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot, and I am making no monies (munnies) off of this fiction. Kingdom Hearts and Disney own what they own in this, and the "Curiosities and Anomalies in Medicine" belongs to its respectful authors (I do own that book though, it's intense XD). Thankees!**

**Chapter One: 4-46: Cute Things Are Always Small, Why Is That?**

Ienzo came under his care at age four. Even himself was forty-six, and considered himself far too old for fatherhood, be it adopted or biological. Aeleus and Dilan certainly couldn't do it, however, due to the fact that they had duties as soldiers and guards; Braig wasn't trusted as a decent caretaker, and so Even was stuck with the child who refused to speak.

Even led the child to his laboratory, stressed and pissed and hoping to Mickey that the kid would stay quiet and out of his way. He pulled a stool into the corner and pointed to it.

"You will sit there and you will not move. I will tolerate no talking, and so help me, if you so much as _think_ about touching anything, the punishment will be severe," he said, waiting for the child to seat himself before returning to his experiment of the day.

He glanced at the child from time to time to make sure he was doing just what he was supposed to do, and to Even's intense relief, he was. Ienzo was staring at him very intently every time he looked over, but it was something Even dismissed as a child's natural curiosity.

The day passed without incident. Even had successfully compiled his report for the day and Ienzo had kept to himself. Even had cleaned and organized the lab before he heard the deep, quiet gasp of a yawn from Ienzo's corner. He turned to see the child running tiredly at his eyes, and he realized he had no clue what to do with Ienzo. The instructions that were given to him were vague and simple- "The child has no parents, see to it that he is taken care of and provided for, as you are his new guardian."

Even barely took care of himself, let alone anyone else. He couldn't even keep animals; any animals he used in his experiments were usually one timers, and he had absolutely no desire to keep a filthy pet.

He gazed at Ienzo, who stared back coolly. The child was dressed terribly, his black shirt was ripped and dirty, his jeans were also torn and much too small. He had on socks that were mostly holes, and no shoes. His slate-colored hair was mussed and tangled. Even sighed, running his hand through equally tangled hair, and reluctantly decided that the child needed new clothes, and a bath.

He sighed again to placate himself, and gestured for Ienzo to follow him out of the lab. Ienzo waas at his side in an instant, waiting patiently as Even locked the door. He turned and began walking to the stairs that led out of the basement and into the cobblestone streets of Hollow Bastion.

Even walked quickly out of habit, as it gave him a no-nonsense air and deterred other people from trying to bother him. He didn't realize how disadvantageous this was for Ienzo until the boy let out a frustrated whimiper and ran as fast as he could to catch up, grasping onto the blonde scientist's lab coat sleeve with tiny fingers. Even stopped, surprised, and glared down at the child, who met his green eyes with the same look.

"You walk too fast," Ienzo complained softly. Even tensed, the boy's voice new to him, and drilling deep into his core. Without making any sort of conscious decision (something he never did), he picked Ienzo up and resumed walking despite the child's silent and feeble resistance.

"You'll have to learn to walk faster then."

Even was somewhat of a hermit-it didn't take a genius to figure that one out. His small apartment was immaculate, like a hospital, and smelled that way too, like no one dwelled there.

The living room held a large, dark green armchair that was well-used from being read in, and oftentimes slept in. The walls were lined with books about everything, with more stacked on the floor. Heavy dark green curtains blocked out the setting sun and a single lamp illuminated the small room from next to the armchair. The small kitchen held enough dishware for exactly two people, and the fridge held enough for a well-balanced, albeit bland, diet. The bathroom was done in white and dark green. Even's bedroom was completely white, and lacked anything personal save for clothing. Everything was organized and color coded.

Ienzo loved it, staring approvingly before wandering over to the books. Even watched him closely from behind the half-wall separating the kitchen and the living room as he prepared a mushroom soup and bread for dinner. Leaving the bread to warm later and the soup to boil, he walked into the bathroom and ran a bath for Ienzo. The child in question had occupied himself with a medical dictionary (illustrated, of course) in the armchair. Even searched for and found an old lab coat that was too small for him, thinking that baggy, rolled up clothes were better than nothing. He'd bully Tifa into getting Ienzo some fitting clothes tomorrow.

"Ienzo. Come take a bath," Even called gruffly, placing the coat on the bathroom counter next to the sink and turning off the water. The bath was half-full with steamy water, causing condensation to form on the mirror. Ienzo walked in slowly, eyeing the bath warily.

"I don't want to take a bath," he mumbled, and turned to walk back out. Even grabbed him by his shoulder, his long, calloused and scarred fingers engulfing the tiny joint.

"Then I regret to inform you that it is not a choice. No bath, no dinner," Even replied. Ienzo stood there, angry and pouting, his little hands clenched into fists. Finally, with a scowl and a dejected huff, Ienzo shoved Even's hand off of his shoulder, and then pushed at Even's legs.

"Get out. I'm fine by myself," Ienzo said indignantly. Even just muttered a quick, "don't drown", and returned to the kitchen to finish dinner.

He'd just finished setting out the food when Ienzo came into the room, practically swimming in the coat made for tall, skinny men and not little boys. His hair was damp and ruffled, the back sticking up every which way. He sniffed and eyed Even with contempt. The blonde simply raised an eyebrow and stared back. Ienzo, frustrated at their staring contest, held out his arms, the lab coat sleeves dangling, and made an annoyed noise.

Sighing heavily, Even knelt down and began folding the sleeves, stopping once Ienzo's hands were visible. He then hauled the boy onto a chair, and combed Ienzo's hair quickly into place with his fingers, another unconscious decision (two in one day, how unhealthy). Not wanting to encroach upon the child's personal space anymore (and to quell the sudden trembling in his stomach), he stood and sat at his own chair to eat. Ienzo sat there for a moment, his eyes barely clearing the top of the table. Suddenly, he leapt off the chair and scampered into the other room, Even gazing after him in question. The slate-haired boy returned carrying the thickest book Even owned-a complete, unabridged dictionary-and set it onto the chair. He proceeded to climb on top of it and sit down, now able to reach his dinner.

Where most children of Ienzo's age would refuse such a bland, "adult" dinner, Ienzo ate it all without complaint. After dinner and dishes, Even set up a makeshift bed on the armchair, pulling out the footrest and leaning it back to make it more bed-like for Ienzo. The boy crawled into the chair, trailing the too-long coat after himself, lugging the dictionary behind him.

Even had turned off the lamp and was walking to his own bedroom when he was stopped by a softly spoken question.

"Why aren't your books alphabetized?"

He stood at the corner where the hall met the living room, and wondered why he had never even considered that before. Why weren't they? Everything else that could be, was.

"There are too many for me to organize," he concluded aloud. "I don't have the time."

And with that, he left the room.

Even worked diligently through the day, focusing intently on a new experiment for Ansem. He'd left Ienzo at the apartment; mostly to keep him out of the way, and secretly because he couldn't bring himself to wake the child.

He finished late, and the stars were well in the sky as he made his way home. Stopping in front of his door, he listened for anything out of the ordinary, but was met with silence. He really hoped the child hadn't blown anything up. Or died of gas poisoning. Or…He unlocked the door and stepped inside.

He then proceeded to have a heart attack.

Not really, but the shock left him speechless and thoughtless-a new concept for him, Even, the great scientist.

The living room had been changed, the stacks of books on the floor now in neat rows. Ienzo's bedding was folded and stacked on the chair. In the middle of the room lay the boy himself, snoozing on top of the dictionary.

Even slowly made his way over to the shelf closest to the hallway, where the books started. They all began with A. Then B. And so on, so forth until Even was back at the front door, staring at a book titled, "Zygotes".

The blonde scientist swallowed thickly and looked over at where Ienzo snored softly, swamped in clothes too big for him. He didn't know how it happened. He didn't know that it could happen, even, and especially not in such a short time of knowing the child.

But it was then that Even realized, consciously and otherwise, the he loved Ienzo.


	2. Brain Comes Before Heart

**So here we are for chapter two. More shota love.**

**Chapter Two: 6-48: Brain Comes Before Heart, But Heart Comes Before Mind**

Even and Ienzo had a routine. Wake up at dawn, eat, go to the lab, work until sundown, come home, eat, bathe, sleep. It was a comfortable schedule that suited the both of them, and weekends were the only times they deviated from that comfort.

It was Saturday, shopping day. Even needed more chemicals and new test tubes (the others had SOMEHOW exploded on Thursday), and they were also in need of groceries. Ienzo walked close to Even, his stride quickened naturally over time to match the older man's. The marketplace was busy, the crowds making Even scowl and Ienzo sneeze.

Crouching down, Even handed Ienzo a small pouch of munny.

"Take this and get the medium-sized, seven-set test tubes, you know which brand. Make sure they're the glass kind, or they'll melt when I try to use them," he explained, and stood. "Do it correctly and we'll go to the bookstore before we go home."

Ienzo's eyes lit up, but he didn't smile. Ienzo, like Even, never smiled. He caught the pleased gleam in the six-year-old's eyes, though, and that was expression enough.

The child walked off toward the science supply store, and Even turned about-face to get food for the week.

He had just paid for the groceries when a light tug came at his lab coat, somewhere around his knees. He didn't have to look to know it was Ienzo, but he did anyway. The slate-haired boy had two boxes cradled carefully in small arms and looked smug.

"Why did you get two, Ienzo? I only asked for one set," Even growled. He didn't like to spend unnecessary munny. Ienzo huffed and pushed the boxes against Even's legs so he'd take them. The blonde knelt down and took the boxes from the boy, sighing.

"Two for one special," Ienzo explained, helping to carry two small bags of groceries. Even hummed and didn't answer to that as they made their way through the crowd to the used bookstore that the pair loved so much. Even sat down in one of the chairs once they were inside, setting the groceries at his feet. Ienzo set his bags down as well, and put his hands on Even's knees, peering up at the blonde's sharp-angled face through his thick bangs.

"You're welcome," he said slowly, his tone both mocking and sincere. Even just frowned, refusing to be told off by a _child_, and inched Ienzo's hands off of his knees none-too-gently.

"Be quick," he ordered, and Ienzo ran off immediately. Even leaned back in the chair, still able to feel the warm fingers on his knees, and ignoring the tingling sensation in his stomach. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of old paper and book glue. He wondered vaguely what it smelled like to Ienzo; the boy had been diagnosed as a supersensor about a year ago, and smelled everything a hundredfold. It was a gift and a curse, especially in crowds, but Ienzo didn't seem too horribly bothered by it, save for the occasional sneeze. Ienzo had once told Even that everyone had a smell, and that he could always tell who's scent was who's, even without looking. Even hadn't asked what his scent was, but he was fairly positive it had some sort of chemical tint.

Over the two years Ienzo had been under Even's care, the older man had developed a…_fondness_ for the boy. A sick fascination, if you will, and he tried oh-so-hard not to let it show. Ansem would have his head and Mickey knows what else if he knew, and Ienzo would definitely be taken away from him. And even if he would never admit it, Ienzo leaving would kill him.

Even scowled into the musty bookstore air. This was why Ienzo should have never been placed under his care to begin with. It was turning him into some dependent, lily-livered fish of a human being. How uncomely.

One might say he was confused. Even said he wasn't. There were laws and morals in place to ensure that he shouldn't have to be confused. He knew what he wanted to do (which was wrong), and what he was going to do (which was socially acceptable and wouldn't get him sent to prison in pieces).

He felt something heavy land in his lap and looked down to see Ienzo had returned with a large and aged book. He'd found an old copy of a book Even had been searching for for a long time, "Curiosities and Anomalies In Medicine". Ienzo coughed softly, and Even stood, gathering their bags and going to pay for the book.

The walk home was quiet, the sunset and flickering street lamps lit with real fire illuminating their way. The sun was still setting when they reached the apartment (the sunsets tended to last a very long while in this town), and was still setting after everything had been put in it place. Even closed the refrigerator and looked over to the window where Ienzo was sitting and clutching his new book, staring pensively out of the curtains. His tiny, pale features were lit up crimson and gold and scarlet-orange, his slate hair shining softly like the oncoming twilight.

"Ienzo," Even started, and the boy looked at him. The gaze he was given quailed the words in his throat, churning back down into his stomach. He felt embarrassed for whatever reason, and he hated it, hiding the emotion in his eyes by letting honey-blonde strands fall before them. All he can think about is how much he hates this, being reduced to something so weak and frittering.

"Even…I want to go to the park."

Ienzo climbed out of the armchair, book still in arms, and pattered over to Even. He hated himself for doing so, but Even said yes. Or, nodded, really, because his voice was still rolling about in his midsection.

They slipped on shoes and walked side-by-side to the park by the woods, just outside of town. They didn't go there often, because neither of them were really into the outdoors, and Ienzo didn't like the scent of other children. They'd been a few times in the evenings, though, and then once at night when neither could sleep. The sun had set a little more, and the very first beginnings of stars were blinking into view. Twilight bled into the dying sunlight's fire, mingling and turning the color of Ienzo's hair before turning a deep, deep violet. The park was vacant, and slightly eerie as the breeze blew gently though and moved trees and swings.

Ienzo wasn't at all bothered by whatever eeriness Even felt, and sat down on a bench underneath a lantern so he could see his book. Even sat down stiffly next to him, his back ramrod straight and not looking at Ienzo. He nearly jumped off the bench when the boy leaned against him nonchalantly, eyes fixated on the book. Even couldn't move for the world, unable to form logical thought through the whirlwind in his mind, and trying very hard not to make some weird, uncomfortable noise.

He didn't touch people for a reason.

After a few moments (such torturous, murderous moments), Ienzo peered up at Even and pointed to a word in the book.

"What is a 'hemorrhage'?" He asked, eyes curious and wide and pulling Even in far too deep.

"A profuse discharge of blood," Even replied, almost whispering. The moment felt fragile, like a set of stained glass teacups, and any wrong move would shatter them to pieces. Even loved science for all it was, but he didn't want to talk about profuse bleeding at the moment. He really didn't want to talk at all, but words from earlier rearranged themselves and betrayed his self-control.

"You could have read the book at home," Even said, instantly feeling terrible for pointing it out. Ienzo fixed him with another one of those much too adult gazes, and it was all he could do to not close his eyes and walk away from it.

"Yes, I could have," the boy replied slowly, as if her were addressing someone inferior, "but I wanted to smell the sunset before it rained tomorrow."

Even paused, trying to process how the hell a sentences like that came out of a six-year-old's mouth, as well as the actual sentence itself.

"You cannot 'smell' a sunset, Ienzo," he snapped, wondering why the fuck he felt so stupid saying that. The child was the one being absurd!

Ienzo flushed a bright pink and looked at Even in an annoyance and surprise that only a child could pull off.

"You don't know! Have you ever tried?" He snapped right back, shutting his book with more little kid force than was necessary.

Even glared down at Ienzo, his previous confusion lost in the petty argument.

"How do you _smell_ a sunset? It's light, which moves in electro-magnetic waves. It has no scent!" Even huffed indignantly. Ienzo set his book down next to him and stood up on the park bench so that he was eye to eye with Even, lavender to green.

"Scent travels in _waves_, Even!" He said triumphantly, that smug look back on his face. Even ignored whatever feelings wanted to arise when his name was said, and frowned at Ienzo. Outdone by a child.

How uncomely.

Even stood up abruptly and grabbed Ienzo's book.

"We're leaving now," he ordered, and started walking. He didn't get very far before Ienzo decided to run as fast as he could into Even's legs, knocking them both over into the gravel. In all his shock, Even managed to land under Ienzo, on his back (and kind of on his side), not bang his head on the ground, and save the book to boot. Ienzo fell on top of Even heavily, causing the older man to wheeze and gasp as the wind was knocked out of him.

"Reckless child! You could have killed me!" Even spat as soon as he could speak. He might have been exaggerating slightly about the collision killing him, but for Mickey's sake, he was almost fifty. He wasn't young anymore; his body didn't want to cope with physical strain very well.

Ienzo pushed himself up so he could glare at Even, not getting off of him like Even wanted him to.

"I am not unintelligent! I know what I'm talking about!" The slate-haired boy yelled. "Light has a smell! Don't tell me it doesn't!"

Even stared at Ienzo for a few seconds, surprised at the outburst, and also becoming painfully aware of their position. He didn't want to be found like this once nightfall hit-he got enough questionable stares as it was.

"I wouldn't lie about this," Ienzo said softly, almost mournfully, and hugged Even tightly around the chest, his small hands grasping onto the blonde's lab coat. Even panicked momentarily, completely at a loss of what to do, how to respond to this sudden affection.

Finally tossing comfort and dignity out the window, he sighed and wrapped his long, bony arms around Ienzo's petite boy. He was going to mentally beat himself up for this later, but that wasn't going to stop him from enjoying the current situation (which he definitely wasn't enjoying, no sir, no ma'am, not at all).

"I believe you," Even murmured, the stars above him twinkling their innocence. Ienzo hugged him even tighter, and the two stayed like that until every star came out in the sky, and their fingers were numb from the chilly nighttime breeze.

As Even carried a sleeping Ienzo home (the boy once again clutching his book like one would a teddy bear), he thought and thought and thought, mentally beating himself up for earlier now that it was later, and as he walked and thought and beat, he wondered.

When did the line between what he wanted to do and what he was going to do disappear?


	3. Never Have I Wished

**Ahh, Valentine's Day. The bane of all who struggle with their feelings :3 Chapter three of In The Morning, shota, chan, Even being awkward. You've been warned. Enjoy.**

**Chapter Three: 14-56: Never Have I Wished So Much You Were Blind**

It was always quiet in the laboratory, save for the occasional acid hiss or rogue explosion. Ienzo had been old enough to work with Even for a good five years now, his mind rivaling Even's even though he was still so young. They had established a new routine-wake up, eat, and while Ienzo went to school, Even went to the lab, Even would work in solitude until Ienzo came back from school, Ienzo would do his homework in the lab, and then help Even with whatever experiment had been assigned as of late, they would go home, eat, compile that day's report, shower, and sleep.

Ienzo still slept in the armchair, having made the living room his bedroom and refusing to sleep anywhere else. Even didn't mind as long as he kept things clean and orderly. The amount of books in the room had grown substantially due to Ienzo's obsession with reading anything and everything. They were still flawlessly alphabetized.

Regarding the young teen himself, Ienzo had grown from a quaint and quiet child to a short, skinny, awkward preteen with gangly limbs and a soft voice. He had developed a rather condescending attitude, and was ahead in school by two full grades. He didn't really have many friends as a result, but he didn't seem to mind too terribly.

On Even's end, it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to smother his emotions, now that Ienzo was becoming more young adult than child. What was even more was the fact that Ienzo had developed the uncanny ability of seeing right through people and finding their true emotions very easily. Even had to try very hard, to say the least.

Today had been a particularly hard day for Even. It was currently February, and on top of cold and snow, it was Valentine's Day. Ansem had a certain fondness for holidays (or maybe he just hated Even), and so had assigned Even to research the effects of love on the human mind.

Needless to day, he had not had a fun day.

It grew even worse when Ienzo joined him in the lab, the tween dressed in black skinny jeans and a deep red long-sleeved shirt underneath a plain black zip hoodie. He dropped his backpack out of the way and made a face at the experiment of the day. Even merely set paperwork before him and went back to his test tubes, scowling. He'd thought about Ienzo more today than was necessary and it had put him in a foul mood.

Because apparently researching love wasn't hell enough, instead of the comfortable silence that usually ensued, Ienzo chose today to be conversational.

"We had a Valentine's Day party today, in homeroom," he said, his pencil skrit-skritching against the paper. Even measured a clear chemical into an eyedropper.

"An appropriate situation, considering the date," he responded dryly, double checking the amount. Ienzo shrugged, slouching.

"Everyone gave out valentines, and we had cupcakes and punch," he mumbled. "I gave the valentines I got to Myde."

Even glanced over and huffed, flicking Ienzo on his spine, causing the boy to straighten up immediately.

"Sit up straight, or you'll get a hunchback," Even said. He knew he was avoiding going into the conversation, but there was good reason for that.

Ienzo paused his work suddenly, placing his hands on his lap and fiddling with his pencil nervously. Even looked at him warily, watching the tween's face contort with anxiety. He didn't like that Ienzo had stopped working for favor of fidgeting, but returned to his own work just the same.

He had just added the clear chemical to a purple solution when he heard Ienzo say something heart-stopping.

"I know how you look at me."

"The purple solution turned a light pink, and gave off a red mist that smelled like something sweet and sad and beautiful all at once. Even grimaced.

"As my bright apprentice? That's a given assumption."

Ienzo frowned and set his pencil down, folding his hands together so he wouldn't fidget. Even was glad for that; he hated to watch people fidget.

"No, Even. You know that isn't what I mean," he said, frustrated. Even struggled to retain his composure as he moved onto the second solution. His mind was whirring a million miles a minute, and he felt nauseous. Keeping calm was quick becoming a difficult task.

Neither of them spoke, and Even realized that his silence was just as incriminating as if he'd said his feelings out loud. The second solution hissed, and turned a dull black color. It gave off no scent that Even could detect.

"The pink solution smells just like that sunset," Ienzo murmured, and Even dared to glance at him curiously. Ienzo combed through his bangs with his fingers, inhaling deeply.

"A few years ago, or well, maybe more than just a few, we were at the park. I'd just gotten the "Curiosities and Anomalies In Medicine". It was a beautiful sunset, and we'd argued about its having a scent," Ienzo explained softly. "Your sense of smell is too weak to catch the real thing, but the scent of that solution is very strong."

Even stared at the innocent-looking solution, astounded by Ienzo's memory. He was unsure of how to react, and so he didn't, setting down the eyedropper carefully and turning so his back was to Ienzo. The longer he stayed silent, the less convincing he was going to sound trying to deny how he felt. But what the hell could he say to him?

"Even…" The blonde heard Ienzo stand, and tensed, panic making his hands shake more than usual. He couldn't allow this to happen. He wouldn't allow this to happen. The whole world was against him in this, and nothing good would come out of it.

It was so, so hard for him to stay turned away. It was even harder to keep silent. And seconds before he broke down and destroyed all reason, mere _seconds_ before he made the best and worst mistake of his life, he heard Ienzo sigh and sit back down.

"Add three more drops of the clear chemical to the black solution and it should neutralize," the tween said, his voice full of sadness and defeat. Even pulled his hair into a sloppy ponytail and added the three drops, surprised he didn't overshoot it, what with the way his hands were trembling. The solution turned a pearly white, looking like oily milk, and gave off a silvery mist that smelled like raspberries and rain and something sour that made Even's throat tighten up. He frowned, and quickly stoppered the beaker. He took half of the paperwork from Ienzo and began to fill it out.

The paperwork was easy, mostly fill in the blank stuff that Even didn't need to think about as he wrote. At least, until he came to the results part, where he was to describe the outcome and how it related to the topic of the experiment.

He didn't notice he was chewing the eraser off his pencil until he taste the crumbly bitter bits of rubber on his tongue. He spit them out delicately, dropping his pencil in disgust. Ienzo peeked up at him through slate fringe, reminding Even of when he would do that as a child.

"What?" He growled at the tween, his bad mood worsening when Ienzo wasn't fazed by his harsh tone. The slate-haired boy just shrugged nonchalantly and slid Even's papers over in front of himself. He looked them over briefly, then picked up Even's discarded pencil (accompanying this with a reproachful glare for the eraser) and began to fill in the results area.

"The reason the second solution turned that milky color is because that's the same color cataracts turn when one begins to go blind. The expression goes, 'love is blind', ergo, the color," Ienzo explained, writing it all as he spoke. "The mist was silver, pertaining to the so-called 'silver lining' in all things. The scent was of raspberries, as red berries are considered a romantic food; rain, as rain creates a calm and romantic atmosphere, and then a sour scent. The sour scent is the one of disappointment, and represents all the things that can 'go sour' in a relationship."

Ienzo stopped and looked at Even, who looked away.

"Disappointment doesn't have a scent, Ienzo," Even said, wanting the day to end so he didn't have to deal with this anymore. Ienzo sighed, and reached over, pulling Even's hair out of its ponytail, swiftly kissing the older man's cheek.

"That's what you said about the sunset, too," he replied, straightening up the stack of papers before grabbing his backpack and exiting the lab with a flustered expression.

Even stared at the door, and didn't move for a very long time.


	4. When I Say I Hate You

**Yay! Chapter Four! Oh, and if anyone cares, I listened to "Perspective" by Quiet Company on repeat during that last chapter. I think I'll put it back on repeat for chapter five, because (advance warning, how nice of me) that is a really sweet (and sexy :3) chapter. Also, it hasn't been that much of a time skip between the two chapters, Even and Ienzo have close birthdays in this ficlet. Enjoi.**

**Chapter Four: 15-57: When I Say I Hate You, I Really Mean…**

Even and Ienzo's relationship had become very strained. Even was trying not to do _anything_ incriminating, which meant he was on the verge of straight up ignoring Ienzo, and Ienzo himself was subjected to endure the uncomfortable tension in the air. Even hated the way Ienzo would look at him, that look that said, "I know what you're thinking". Well, let the kid endure, he started all of this after all.

It was the weekend. Even was reading a new book in the armchair and Ienzo had his research papers for school spread out neatly on the table. The teen had his headphones on, and Even could just make out the melody of piano keys from across the room.

The piano music on the edge of his consciousness didn't bother him, but when it switched to something heavy and grating (Even supposed that was what they called "rock music"), he suddenly lost all ability to concentrate on his book. Sighing, he waved at Ienzo to get his attention, and mouthing for him to turn his volume down. Ienzo gazed at him blankly for a moment before his lips upturned in a noticeable smirk. Picking up his iPod, he cranked the volume up a few notches, making Even's eye twitch. He bookmarked his book and stood, anger at being disobeyed bubbling in his veins. He stalked over to Ienzo, who turned the music down immediately and rolled his eyes. Even scowled, but held himself back from doing something regretful, like, say, beating the kid within an inch of his life, and spun on his heel to return to reading.

Just as he had settled himself onto the chair to continue his chapter, Ienzo blasted his music again, now loud enough for Even to discern the vocals. With an annoyed growl, Even slammed the book down and nearly vaulted across the room to pull Ienzo's headphones off his head and out of the iPod.

Ienzo stared at him coolly, one eyebrow raised at Even's short temper.

"You obnoxious child! I will not be disobeyed so cheekily! The next time it happens, you will no longer have a device to listen to your horrendous music on!" Even snapped, tossing the headphones carelessly onto the table. Ienzo picked them up quietly and wrapped the cord around them.

"I was wondering what it would take to get you acting normally towards me again," the teen said softly, setting the headphones aside. Even froze, taken aback. Had he really been acting that different?

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about," Even replied, deciding to play dumb. Ienzo snorted and shook his head, straightening the piles of paper that had been knocked askew.

"No idea…Even, stupidity does not suit you at all," he said, fixing the blonde with a glare. Even frowned, his previous anger flaring. Of course he had seen right through that. Of fucking course.

"What exactly are you suggesting, Ienzo?" He retorted, ignoring the other flare of emotion that came from the teen saying his name.

"I'm suggesting that you know exactly what you're doing, and I'm suggesting that you know exactly how it makes me feel!" Ienzo said hotly, his cheeks flushing. Even harrumphed, and didn't answer, choosing instead to go back to his book. He didn't want to deal with this, not now, not tomorrow, not ever. And he wasn't going to, if he could help it. He sat down heavily, the old chair's springs squeaking in protest, and picked up his book once more. Not two seconds later, Ienzo was blasting his music again, this time leaving the headphones out and using the external speakers, turning it up as loud as it would go. Even let out a yell of frustration and chucked his book at the wall, where it hit loudly and clattered to the floor in a flurry of bent pages.

"I will not tolerate this, dammit!" He shouted, and stormed over to the table to rip Ienzo's iPod to shreds. Ienzo stood quickly and shoved his iPod and headphones onto his chair to keep them safe, glaring up at Even in fury.

"I won't tolerate you!" He shouted back, his hands clenched by his sides. "I'm so sick of you ignoring me and acting like I'm diseased or something! Pay some fucking attention to me!"

They stared at one another, both of them breathing heavily. Even was taken aback by the fact that he had cussed, let alone the fact that Ienzo had, and had chosen a much more decent word as well. Once again, outdone by a child. Ienzo broke the shocked silence first, swallowing and wrapping his arms around himself, looking down at his feet.

"I'd rather you hate me and say so, than love me and ignore me…" He mumbled, hiding his face behind his hair. Even felt something inside of him wilt, and he had to push his hands in his pockets so he wouldn't do something stupid, like hug Ienzo. Feelings like that were idiotic and wrong, and needed to wilt anyway, right?

Right?

"Ienzo, I…"

The teen looked up at him, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears. He clenched his jaw as he waited for the rest of Even's sentence, trying to look like he wasn't about to cry. Even took a deep, deep breath, and killed himself inside so he could finish his sentence the way he needed to finish it.

"I hate you."

He turned and walked to his bedroom, knowing Ienzo wouldn't follow. Sitting down on his pristine white bed, he put his head in his hands, and wished with all his broken, selfish hear that he would suffer a heart attack, a brain aneurism, or something equally fatal.

Because now Ienzo hated him, and to live with that knowledge was worse than death.

Even woke up later to a dark room and a chill. He was laying on his side, still clothed, and on top of his sheets. His long blonde hair lay tangled over his face and shoulders, and through the pale strands he saw that his door was open slightly, with someone silhouetted in the hall light.

Trying to maintain his dignity, Even sat up, tossing his hair out of his eyes and trying to figure out who was in the doorway in his half-awake state.

The door was pushed open, and before Even could react, whomever it was was crawling on top of him. He started to freak out, but then he realized that it was only Ienzo, and felt rather stupid for assuming otherwise.

But then he really started to freak out, the stupid feeling melting into a sort of frozen panic, because here was Ienzo (whom he'd told earlier he hated), and further more, Ienzo was touching him (which he didn't if he could help it), and _further more_, Ienzo was _hugging him._ Tightly.

This was not okay.

"Ienzo—"

"You don't really hate me, do you."

He said it as a statement, muffled by Even's shoulder, but the way he tightened his embrace said that Ienzo was unsure.

Even sighed shakily, and closed his eyes. This wasn't happening. It wasn't going to happen. He wasn't going to let__this happen. It took a good amount of resolve to push Ienzo away.

"Ienzo, I can't—"

The teen clapped his hand suddenly over Even's mouth, and shook his head.

"Please, Even…just…please," he said, pleading. Even reached up and gently pulled Ienzo's hand away from his mouth. He let the teen's hand drop, and kept his eyes closed.

"Ienzo…whatever this is…can't happen…" He whispered. He was glad he couldn't see Ienzo's face, because Even wasn't sure how much more he could break inside.

"No! Don't tell me it can't!" The teen protested, his fingers clutching onto Even's shirt. Even was reminded of that day, way back when, where Ienzo had said the same sort of thing about the scent of a sunset. Even grasped Ienzo's wrists and tried to pry him away. He was getting dangerously close to losing all self control, especially with the way Ienzo was sitting on him. Ienzo leaned forward, tightening his grip on Even's shirt and leaning his forehead against the blonde's. Even froze, and opened his eyes slowly.

Ienzo was crying, his tears little drops of reflected hallway light. Even's breath caught, and his mind blanked.

"I can't—"

One minute, Even could talk, and in the next, he couldn't, because he mouth was suddenly occupied. He ceased to breathe. To think. To exist. All that mattered right now was Ienzo, and Ienzo's lips, and the fact that Ienzo was kissing him, _him_, of all people…

Even jerked away, his mind spiraling into a panicked, jumbled mess.

"Ienzo, no, God, we can't, I can't, _I_ can't, this is bad…" He was babbling, and confused, and _what happened to that goddamn line_. He knew he was repeating himself now, probably sounding like a broken record, but how else was he supposed to _deal_ with the situation, and—

Ienzo kissed him again, removing his hands from Even's shirt and entangling them instead in the older man's hair, pulling Even into him. Even choked back an undignified sound, and trailed shaking fingers down Ienzo's arms to rest at the small of his back. He slowly kissed Ienzo back, hating himself for every bit of it, and loving all of it more than he could fathom.

Ienzo pulled away just slightly, his breath hot and panting on Even's tongue, his lips brushing against the blonde's as he whispered the words that sealed it all.

"Even, I love you."


	5. Can My Birthday Come Early

**Ah, the plot thickens even more! Such an awkward couple. I love it. Onto chapter five. **

**Chapter Five: 17-59: Can My Birthday Come Early This Year? And If Not, Can I Have You Anyway?**

After that incident, things fell into place. Even quit avoiding Ienzo, Ienzo was no longer seeking attention, and the both of them simply felt more at ease with one another. Their new relationship was never talked about, discussed, debated; they had silently agreed upon it. It never got past a make out session, because while Even knew the feelings were mutual, the rather obnoxious things called laws still said it wasn't right. Even was content (mostly) with the innocence of their touches. What they didn't do together, he helped himself with, simple as quadratic equations.

It was the night before Ienzo's eighteenth birthday, and he hadn't asked for anything yet. Even was terrible at giving gifts, because he wasn't used to having to do so, and Ienzo was fairly diligent about making it clear exactly what he wanted. But he hadn't said _anything_, not even a hint.

Even was sitting in the lab, mixing chemicals because it made him feel better, and seriously considering not getting the kid anything at all. Ienzo loved books, but he already had more than enough of those, and unless Even got him the original scrolls of, say, the bible, or something equally rare, a book wasn't really a suitable coming-of-age present. No one drove anywhere, and Ienzo was content in Hollow Bastion, so cars and gummi ships were out. He had all the chemicals a scientist's apprentice could dream of having, so those were out too.

He had another, secret, hidden idea as to what to give him, but that was NOT going to happen. Not now. Probably not ever. So he was back to square one.

He growled in frustration, and the potion he was working on exploded in a cloud of lime green. Even cursed and waved off the Lysol scented cloud, tossing the scorched test tube in the sink. He pulled off his goggles and sat back on his stool, sighing deeply. Caring for and about people was hard. Even hadn't been good at it before, and he sure as hell wasn't any better now.

The door to the lab opened, and Ienzo walked in, home from school. He had a few boxes in his arms, which he set carefully down on the floor next to his backpack. He grimaced at the smell, and kissed Even gently on the lips before pulling up a stool next to him.

Ienzo had grown up for sure, but not _up_. He had stayed at the petite height of five foot even, making him seem younger than he was. His jaw had angled out, though, and the rare glimpses of Ienzo's bare torso Even had caught said that the rest of him had angled out quite well.

"Bad experiment?" The slate haired boy asked softly, eyeing the charred test tube. He still never smiled, but there were times with Even thought he caught a small one before Ienzo turned away. "It smells like you exploded ten cans of Lysol in here."

"Nothing important, it was just something to pass the time," Even replied, pulling his hair behind his shoulders and out of his face. Ienzo hated it when Even put up his hair, and therefore had confiscated every rubber band and hair tie in the house.

"Or perhaps to ease your mind?" Ienzo said, his tone amused. "Your experiments don't fail unless you have a much less mathematical problem to deal with."

Even scowled and decided Ienzo was too right to let the conversation continue in that manner.

"You've got birthday gifts, I'm assuming?" He asked dryly, gesturing toward the boxes. Ienzo glanced at them and leaned on the lab counter languidly.

"You assume correct. Myde, Lea, and Sora came up from the high school to deliver them. I had to practically bite a guy's hand off so he'd quit creeping on them," Ienzo replied, laughing once without humor. He sounded decidedly nonchalant to Even, and it was those times that put on Even on edge.

"What'd you get from them?"

Even didn't actually want to know, but it seemed courteous to ask. Ienzo fixed him with a Look, and tilted his head to one side.

"It wasn't anything I truly wanted for my birthday," he murmured in reply, and the lab was suddenly very, very quiet. Even could have swallowed the tension in the room.

"Ienzo…"

God, did he even dare to ask after something like that? All of a sudden it was two years ago and things were moving further than Even could morally keep up with.

Ienzo got up and sauntered over to Even, draping his arms over the blonde's shoulders and on his tiptoes, their faces a breath apart.

"Even, may I have my birthday present early?" He mumbled, blushing slightly. He wasn't usually so forward.

"Ienzo, no, you don't know what you're asking for…" Even protested, his words tumbling over one another as he struggled to keep a potentially dangerous (and illegal) situation from becoming actually dangerous (and very illegal).

"Well, then, if I can't have my present early…" Ienzo drifted off, turning and walking out of the lab. Even sat there for a moment, completely thrown for a loop. What had just happened? And what was he getting into?

"I'm too fucking old for this…" he mumbled grumpily (the way only an old man could), and locked up the lab before catching up to Ienzo.

Even fixed Ienzo's favorite dinner that night-mushroom soup and bread. Initially, it was supposed to be for tomorrow, but Ienzo insisted, and Even decided that it really wasn't all too bad. Just as long as Ienzo didn't want the same thing tomorrow night. It was something he'd loved since he was a child, and they had it often.

Ienzo ate happily, and Even ate thoughtfully, and not much conversation was exchanged.

Dessert was a rare (very, very rare) occasion for the two of them, as Even was strict about health. So when Even presented Ienzo with a small white box after dinner, the younger wasn't sure what to think.

"What's this?" He asked, looking at the box curiously.

"My terrible apology for not having your birthday present yet, and something to hopefully appease you until tomorrow," Even mumbled, hiding behind his hair awkwardly. He so wasn't cut out for this sentimental crap.

Ienzo pulled off the lid to reveal an inch by inch petite four delicately covered in slate blue frosting and sitting on a piece of white tissue paper. He name was piped in silver icing on the top. Ienzo looked up at Even, and blushed, pulling the tiny cake out of its box and placing it flat on his palm, where it looked even tinier compared to Ienzo's spidery fingers.

"Thank you," Ienzo said, and his expression softened, turning almost gooey. "I almost don't want to eat it, it's so tiny…"

"Even snorted and ruffled Ienzo's hair to kill the tension and sappiness, earning a glare from the teen.

"A tiny cake for a tiny child," he replied, immediately getting a reaction.

"I still have more time to grow! My body is proportionate and healthy!" Ienzo shot back, his face flooding an embarrassed red.

"Proportionate, hm? Are you sure?"

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and Even had to resist the urge to beat himself in the face many, many times. Ienzo was staring at him like he'd gone insane, and for Mickey's sake, maybe he had.

He couldn't even think of anything to say to fix that, and ended up floundering for a coherent string of thought in his head even after Ienzo had gotten over staring at him and had taken to eating his mini cake.

"You really haven't gotten me anything, Even?" He asked softly when he was finished, closing the box carefully and turning it about in his hands. Even froze whatever random train of thought he was on now, and tried hard not to look too guilty.

"I…have time. Your birthday isn't until tomorrow," he replied. It was a pretty weak excuse, and Ienzo saw through it instantly.

The teen set the box carefully down onto the table, and stood, walking past Even on his way to the hallway. As he passed him, he grabbed the older man's wrist tightly, dragging him with.

Even fought half-heartedly the entire way, not wanting for this to go the way it was looking to go. All that could result from that would be disappointment and a destroyed relationship. Ienzo was all Even had; he couldn't ruin this now.

Ienzo kicked the door shut behind them and pushed Even against it. He grabbed the front of Even's lab coat, and glared at him.

"Even. I'm sick of waiting. I don't give a damn if my birthday is tomorrow. I wouldn't give a damn if it were five years from now still. I want you now," he growled.

Even swallowed nervously, and looked anywhere except for at the boy in front of him.

"You don't, Ienzo."

"Don't tell me what I want! I—"

"Don't know a goddamn thing, apparently," Even retorted. "This isn't right. It won't be right tonight, and it won't be right tomorrow. I'm fifty-nine."

Ienzo grabbed Even's jaw with one hand and forced the blonde to look at him.

"I am not unintelligent, Even. I _know_ that," he said. "And even after _knowing_ it's wrong, and _knowing_ your age, and all else…I _still _love you."

Even stared at Ienzo, debating what to do. He could hardly think with Ienzo around. How was he supposed to come to any sort of rational decision?

But he took too long, apparently, because Ienzo took the initiative and decided for him, like that day two years ago.

Ienzo stood on tiptoe and kissed Even hard, moving his hand from Even's jaw to his neck, using the other hand that was still gripping his coat to pull the blonde closer. Even's breath hitched, and his insides sank and swirled and he felt like he was nauseous, but he knew he wasn't. He hated this and he didn't, because even as he told himself to stop this, he was tangling his fingers in the spikes of Ienzo's oddly colored hair and kissing back.

Ienzo broke the kiss first, moving to Even's neck and biting down on the nerves beneath the skin. Even could protest; he could say no, but every time he tried, his stomach would flutter and the butterflies inside of him would escape as breathy groans and a tightened grip. Grabbing Ienzo's chin, he dragged the teen's lips back up to his, and felt Ienzo's hands slip underneath his shirt. Even shuddered and ran his tongue along Ienzo's bottom lip, the teen parting his lips to meet Even's tongue with his own. Ienzo's hands were chilly against his sides and chest and stomach, making goosebumps appear and the strangest feeling arose at the mixing of heat and cold in his body.

Even hated being unable to think clearly, but none of that was important anymore, because Ienzo was pulling him toward the bed now. There was something inside his fogged up mind that was telling him to _do_ something, something preventative—

And he was on the bed with Ienzo on top of him, the teen in the process of taking off his own shirt, Even already rid of his own. What did preventative even mean? It meant nothing, it didn't exist, it was Ienzo's fingers on his face, his shoulders, his hips. It was Ienzo's mouth and tongue on his neck and stomach. It was Ienzo. It was this moment.

It had always been Ienzo.

And here he was, moving and moving on top of him, this child that had haunted him since the day they met. Here Ienzo was, and as Even moaned and closed his eyes in bliss, he wouldn't wish the teen to be anywhere else. Ienzo's nails dug into Even's shoulders, and the pain mixed in with the achey pain of pleasure making Even jerk, his spidery, science-calloused hands fitting so perfectly and tightly around Ienzo's prominent hipbones. In a passing thought, Even noticed that, if he so wished, he could put his hands around Ienzo's waist and his fingers would touch.

But then all thoughts stopped, and for the first time in his fifty-nine years, Even felt as if he were going to die due to an emotional overload. Nothing registered except for Ienzo's tiny, sharp hips and that god-awful warmth radiating between the two of them. Even even ceased to breathe, the moment held suspended in time like a near-hatching chrysalis hung on a silk thread.

The thread snapped all too suddenly, and the moment came crashing down. It rushed out _hot_ and _liquid_, and the breath Even had been holding tumbled out in broken huffs like a torn accordion, shaky and gaspy. He shivered hard, feeling Ienzo do the same underneath his too-big hands, only the teen nearly shook to pieces, unused to the heavy sensation, and if possible, Even held him tighter. Leaning down with jerky movements, Ienzo kissed Even softly and wetly, breathing hard.

"Ev, Even, oh god, Ev, I love you," he whispered against Even's lips, and the blonde moved a weak hand from Ienzo's hip to the back of the teen's neck, kissing him again and again and again.

"I—" Kiss. "I love—" Kiss, kiss. "—you too, Ienzo—" Kiss squared.

Even felt Ienzo smile briefly before collapsing into another deep kiss. He no longer worried about legality, or morality, or anything else like that, because right now all he could think about was how lucky he was to have Ienzo, and how happy it made him (truly, truly happy) to hear that the teen loved him.

"Even…all those times…with the sunset…" Ienzo breathed against his neck, making Even shiver. "I never…never said…but your scent…is the same as the sunset…"

Even froze, then melted, hugging the teen to him tightly.

Nothing, he thought, would ever ruin what they had now. Nothing.

There was nothing glorious about the night's aftermath. It was messy and filthy and, in both of their cases, painful. Even had to work to keep Ienzo upright and awake in the shower, as the teen looked about ready to pass out, cry, and jump for joy, all that the same time. After he helped Ienzo stagger out of the shower, he helped the teen dress in comfortable clothes and set him cautiously on the armchair so he could go remake the bed.

He tossed the sheets into the washer, deciding that later he would probably just trash them, and made the bed anew. His body protested movement from the earlier exertion, and he knew his joints were going to lock up so bad tomorrow morning, but he definitely didn't envy how Ienzo was going to feel. Before venturing back into the living to the Ienzo, Even made sure to check the medicine cabinet for painkillers. There was no way in hell he was creaking his arthritis down and up the stairs to the lab to get any.

Ienzo was sound asleep when Even moved him from armchair to bed (with some difficulty), and stayed asleep. Even laid down next to him with a groan, making himself comfortable as quickly as possible, his joints already stiffening. The blankets laid loosely on top of the two of them, and Even felt warm inside and out as he watched Ienzo's face twitch slightly as his mind wandered in Dreamland.

_Don't go,_ Even thought absently, sweeping Ienzo's bangs out of his face and stroking his cheek softly. _Don't leave me, ever. I can't tolerate the idea of no more you. Without you, I am a nobody._

As if his thoughts had been said aloud, Ienzo's eyes fluttered open momentarily, and acid green met lavender. Ienzo smiled slightly, Even quit breathing, and before the teen slipped back into sleep, he puckered his lips and blew a gentle kiss at Even. He closed his light, lovely, lavender eyes and sighed, his fingers entwining with Even's under the blankets.

Even decided that if he died right then, that'd be okay.


	6. Without You, I Cease To Be

**So, the very last chapter of In The Morning. It's an epilogue of sorts. And it is pretty sad. It takes place after the Nobody "transformations", and Vexen always looked completely mental to me, and this is this fiction's version of why he's gone mad. I hope you all enjoy it, and thank you for the kind and cute reviews, they have made me smile. I wish to give you guys only my best works :3 With that said, onto the next and final chapter, and eventually to my other works to make them much much better :D (and on a side note, I have just realized I ended this fiction at chapter six…Zexion's number XD)**

**Chapter Six: Timeless: Without You, I Cease To Be**

Swimming in darkness, he wondered where it had all gone wrong. The experiments, the hearts, Ansem, all of it. He'd found something, that was for sure.

He wasn't sure that something was good yet.

He tried moving, but his body didn't respond. He knew in his mind that this should concern him, and yet it didn't. That in itself should have concerned him more.

Suddenly, light flooded the black, and forced his eyes to open. He squinted up at the much-too-bright light above him, trying to figure out where he was. Who he was. What had happened.

"—ey."

He turned toward the voice with the lazy drawl that echoed oddly in…wherever he was. He moved slowly, groggily. The man was leaning against the table he was on, his hip cocked against the shiny, shiny stainless steel. He was wearing a black leather coat that was just as shiny, and the eyepatch and knotted facial scar looked so familiar. Who was it again?

"Br…?" He couldn't force out the memory, and so he stopped trying. The man with the eyepatch grinned down at him, crinkling the scar further. His teeth were scary in that gnarled face. But he wasn't scared. Or even bothered, really. This should have concerned him, but he'd figure that later.

"Xigbar. Welcome to Castle Oblivion," the man said all too cheerfully. "Population: you and five other Nobodies who are too lazy to show the fuck up, so you get me as your welcome crew."

He looked up at the man with the eyepatch in confusion.

"I don't…I don't understand," he asked, and his voice worked a little better this time around.

"Oh, yeah, of course yeh don't, what am I thinking," Xigbar laughed, sounding a bit hollow. "You're a Nobody. You got no heart, no emotion, nada. Just your thoughts and smarts and…heh, dashing good looks, I suppose."

He supposed he was being made fun of right then, but he wasn't angry about it. Now he knew why he should be concerned. But he wasn't. He wasn't…anything. It was strange to think that it bothered him while it didn't. He cared, but he didn't. He sighed, and sat up very slowly.

His body was stiff, and his joints protested against all forms of movement. He had known he would be stiff. He was getting older each day, and after all, they did it often enough, they very well could have last ni—

He blinked, and completely lost his train of thought. His memory needed some patching.

"Who…am I? Who else is…there?" His questions were coming out dry and haltingly. And stupid, but he hoped that would be overlooked.

"Well, you got Xemnas, our Superior, the Big Boss," Xigbar explained, "then yeh got me, and Xaldin, then you that is Vexen, Lexeaus, and midget boy."

Vexen, as he supposed he was, gave him a Look.

"My bad." Xigbar grinned. "I meant Zexion."

Zexion. That struck something in Vexen. It passed too quickly for him register it fully, though, and so he dismissed it.

Standing cautiously, he took in his surroundings. He was in a white, circular laboratory with stainless steel furniture. Xigbar was the only other person in the room. He looked up, and felt queasy as the ceiling stretched on and on until he couldn't discern a top. He brought up his hand to check that his heartbeat was normal, and froze. Xigbar's earlier words sunk in a little bit more.

"I'm dead." It was a statement, not a question, because Vexen felt that it was a very stupid thing to ask, and yet needed it confirmed aloud anyway. His damn heart wasn't beating, so of course he was dead. That or dreaming.

He heard Xigbar chuckle, and resisted the urge to glare at him. Even though that resisting was subconscious, because he didn't really feel the need to glare. He was angry, or annoyed.

"Nope, but it's as close as you'll ever get to it. Maybe even worse," Xigbar said. "Nobodies don't have hearts. We're…working on that little setback. It's why we recruited you, so your smarts of science can help us!"

Vexen couldn't move as he struggled to process that. Taking in a deep breath he supposed he didn't actually need, he let his hand fall to his side.

"Castle Oblivion, yes?" A nod from Xigbar. "And I live here now?" Another nod.

Vexen sighed and looked at the floor.

"Please take me to my quarters. I need some to think about this," he said quietly. Xigbar grinned widely and led Vexen into the hallway.

"You got all the time you need, Vexy-baby!" He guffawed. "It's not like you give a damn, right?"

Vexen ignored Xigbar's meaningless chatter, focusing instead on the bland gray and white of the Castle. He was led down into the "Lower Hall", as the plaque next to the stairs dully proclaimed, and was shown to a bland door with a bland number four on it.

Still ignoring Xigbar, he slipped inside the room, shutting out all else save his thoughts. He stood there, staring at the door, for a very long time, sometimes breathing, most times forgetting to breathe.

What was he waiting for? A mental breakdown, perhaps? Tears? Screaming? Probably all of those.

So why wasn't it happening? Why didn't he care?

_You have no heart or emotions. _

Oh, yeah. That's why.

Vexen stared and stared at the door, feeling a sense that he was forgetting something very important. Like he was waiting up for someone who'd missed their curfew, or wasn't home when they said they would be.

A knock sounded, and that sense in the back of his mind grew a hundredfold. With a hand that was his and not his all at once, Vexen reached out and opened the door.

And proceeded to fall apart.

A short, petite, beautiful, and very familiar person stood there, not looking a day over nineteen. Vexen knew he was nineteen. How…Memories flooded back, and it hurt, _god_, it hurt, and there was just so much, and he didn't know how to react to any of it, and—

"Staring is rude, Number Four."

The voice was cold and bland, like the Castle, and Vexen suddenly felt very, very hollow.

"What…what did you call me?" Vexen asked slowly, and for some reason, his throat felt tight. The slate-haired nineteen year old sighed in an exasperation that he didn't feel and that Vexen knew, he _knew _that damn sigh.

"I called you Number Four, because I am your inferior and in no place to use your informal title," the teen explained. "I am Number Six. My name is Zexion."

Zexion didn't hold out his hand or make any move to solidify the introduction. Vexen thought this to be a smart move at the moment.

"I know you. I'm sure of it," Vexen said, trying to force himself to remember. It was right on the tip of his tongue, if he could just…

"I haven't seen you before in my lifetime, Number Four. If you know me, then it is without my knowledge," Zexion replied, and Vexen's throat got tighter.

Unperturbed by what had just transpired, Zexion shifted his weight and crossed his arms over his chest, the long black leather coat he was wearing creaking slightly in its newness. Vexen ignored the fact that he was similarly dressed.

"I simply came down to give you the instructions on how everything works down here in the Lower Level," he said dryly, and oh how Vexen hated that voice. It was so unlike…so unlike…unlike what?

He was no longer listening to Zexion, his mind blank and whirling all at once. Why couldn't he remember? He knew it was _there_, but why—

Zexion snapped his fingers twice in front of Vexen's face, making him blink. A flash of a memory jumped back to him-headphones far too loud for safe listening, and…

"Number Four, I'd advise you to listen to me," Zexion snapped, like his fingers, cold and crisp and the fragment was gone. "Such a stupid gaze is unbecoming of one rumored to be as intelligent as yourself."

Stupid, stupidity…attention…headphones…

"Insolent child," Vexen muttered before he could stop himself, and the pair stood in silence for a good thirty seconds.

"…Excuse me?" Zexion said, his voice dangerous. Vexen nodded slightly, and gazed at the boy through his blonde hair. It elicited another memory, one of a tiny cake for a tiny child.

Vexen closed his eyes, and reopened them.

"You're an insolent and reckless child, speaking to me as such, and I won't tolerate it," he replied, watching an annoyed expression flash across Zexion's face. It was fake, though, because they couldn't feel emotions.

"I am not a child! I'll have you know that I am—"

"Gone."

More silence. Vexen felt like there was something very dark and slimy inside of him, and it hurt, the kind of pain that consumes instead of stabbing or aching. He was cold. Very cold.

Zexion gave him a look of confusion. Farce? Maybe. Vexen had never been confused, not really. He had known what he'd wanted all along. It wasn't such a broad idea that they shared that mask in common.

"You are gone…and you are not coming back," Vexen said quietly, that all consuming pain lacing his words and tearing out his throat.

"Number Four, you're making no sense—"

"You're gone, Ienzo."

He felt so wonderful. He didn't give a damn if he didn't have feelings, he felt, deep down, he felt so fucking wonderful saying that name. The name that meant most to him, the name of the one that he loved. It felt so wonderful, but it hurt so much more.

So he said it again.

"Ienzo. You're gone. Not coming back. And you don't even realize that."

Vexen's grip on the door handle tightened, and his grip on his sanity slipped. He chuckled emotionlessly.

"What? I don't—"

Vexen laughed again, louder this time, cutting off the slate-haired boy.

"Sorry! Number Four is away at the moment! Only Even here! Even and Even and no goddamn Vexen in sight! Try again later, maybe he'll come back," he said, his voice strained with a small hint of hysteria. He began to shut the door, but halfway through, stopped, and peered out at the still confused Zexion.

"I love you. You love me too. You just don't remember," he said, and slammed the door before he was bombarded with questions. At least, that was what he told himself.

As he sat down on the stark white bed that made him think of his own back in…wherever, he knew that the real reason he'd shut the door was so that he didn't have to see those lavender eyes, didn't have to see the emptiness in them. Didn't have to see the shell left behind when…when…when Ienzo left.

Something else snapped in his mind, and he began to laugh. Quietly at first, then louder, the mirth uncontrollable. The pain and chill he still felt bubbled up in his torn apart throat, and his laughter turned to sobbing.

Braig had lied when he told him that he couldn't feel, and Vexen hated him for it.

**So, here we are. The end of In the Morning. Thank you for following this pair through the six chapters of awkward love and sadness. I hope the ending isn't too confusing. Even, upon seeing Zexion, remembers everything, while Zexion remembers nothing. I'm watching a really sad movie while typing this XD and so I was all, damn, I can't do this lol. Look out for the next story in this little triplet series, it's a DemyRoku, once again focusing on age differences. Enjoy life and love, guys :3 and don't ever forget the ones you love. ~Salem**


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